If you want to study with continuous diligence, be careful never to speak against a fellow Jew.151This was said on the day before Rosh HaShanah 5571 (September 28, 1810), shortly before the Rebbe's demise. It was given in response to a request for advice on how to achieve diligence in study (Tzaddik #160).
The Torah is a bride. It is written, “Moses charged us with the Torah, a heritage for the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). The Talmud says: Do not read MoRaShah (heritage) but Me’uRaSah (the betrothed): “Moses charged us with the Torah, the betrothed of the congregation of Jacob” (Berakhot 57a; Pesachim 49b). Every Jew is a letter in the Torah. The 600,000 letters of the Torah parallel the 600,000 Jewish souls.152Zohar Chadash, Shir HaShirim 74d. Cf. Likutey Moharan I, 2:6, 24:3, 273. The Torah is the root of all Jewish souls.
If there is a defect in a single Jew, it is also a blemish in the Torah, the root of the Jewish souls. If so, it is impossible to fully love the Torah.
But if you are careful not to speak against any Jew, then you will also find the Torah perfectly beautiful. You will then have a deep love for the Torah – for when the bride is beautiful, love is perfect. This great love will lead you to great diligence in your studies.
It is written, “God’s Torah is perfect; it restores the soul” (Psalms 19:8). Each Jew represents a letter in the Torah. When people neither seek out nor speak of the flaws in their fellow Jews, then the Torah is perfect, with neither flaw nor blemish. When “God’s Torah is perfect,” then “it restores the soul.”
סְגֻלָּה לְהַתְמָדָה, שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת מַתְמִיד בְּלִמּוּדוֹ, הוּא לְהִזָּהֵר לִבְלִי לְדַבֵּר עַל שׁוּם אִישׁ יִשְׂרְאֵלִי.
If you want to study with continuous diligence, be careful never to speak against a fellow Jew.151This was said on the day before Rosh HaShanah 5571 (September 28, 1810), shortly before the Rebbe's demise. It was given in response to a request for advice on how to achieve diligence in study (Tzaddik #160).
כְּמוֹ כְּשֶׁהַכַּלָּה הִיא יָפָה אֲזַי הָאַהֲבָה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַכַּלָּה אֵיזֶה חִסָּרוֹן וּמוּם, אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי אֵין הָאַהֲבָה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת.
When the bride is beautiful, love is perfect (cf. Song of Songs 4:7). But when the bride is blemished, love cannot be complete.
כְּמוֹ כֵן הַתּוֹרָה נִקְרֵאת כַּלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דְּבָרִים לג): "תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה" וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ ז"ל (בְּרָכוֹת נז. פְּסָחִים מט:): "אַל תִּקְרֵי מוֹרָשָׁה אֶלָּא מְאוֹרָסָה", וְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לוֹ אוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה, כִּי שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל.
The Torah is a bride. It is written, “Moses charged us with the Torah, a heritage for the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). The Talmud says: Do not read MoRaShah (heritage) but Me’uRaSah (the betrothed): “Moses charged us with the Torah, the betrothed of the congregation of Jacob” (Berakhot 57a; Pesachim 49b). Every Jew is a letter in the Torah. The 600,000 letters of the Torah parallel the 600,000 Jewish souls.152Zohar Chadash, Shir HaShirim 74d. Cf. Likutey Moharan I, 2:6, 24:3, 273. The Torah is the root of all Jewish souls.
וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ חִסָּרוֹן בְּאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, נִמְצָא שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִסָּרוֹן בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁשָּׁם שֹׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּנַּ"ל. וְעַל־כֵּן בְּוַדַּאי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לֶאֱהֹב אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת.
If there is a defect in a single Jew, it is also a blemish in the Torah, the root of the Jewish souls. If so, it is impossible to fully love the Torah.
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיִּזָּהֵר מִלְּדַבֵּר עַל שׁוּם יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִבְלִי לִמְצֹא שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן בְּשׁוּם יִשְׂרְאֵלִי נִמְצָא שֶׁאֵין בְּהַתּוֹרָה שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן וּמוּם אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי יֶאֱהַב אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מְאֹד. וַאֲזַי יַתְמִיד בְּלִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה מִגֹּדֶל הָאַהֲבָה כַּנַּ"ל.
But if you are careful not to speak against any Jew, then you will also find the Torah perfectly beautiful. You will then have a deep love for the Torah – for when the bride is beautiful, love is perfect. This great love will lead you to great diligence in your studies.
וְזֶהוּ "תּוֹרַת ה' תְּמִימָה" (תְּהִלִּים יט), הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁתּוֹרַת ה' הִיא תְּמִימָה בְּלִי שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן וּמוּם דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁנִּזְהָרִין לִבְלִי לְדַבֵּר וְלִבְלִי לִמְצֹא שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן בְּשׁוּם יִשְׂרְאֵלִי שֶׁהוּא אוֹת מֵהַתּוֹרָה, נִמְצָא שֶׁאָז תּוֹרַת ה' תְּמִימָה בְּלִי שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן וּמוּם, אֲזַי הוּא מְשִׁיבַת נָפֶשׁ.
It is written, “God’s Torah is perfect; it restores the soul” (Psalms 19:8). Each Jew represents a letter in the Torah. When people neither seek out nor speak of the flaws in their fellow Jews, then the Torah is perfect, with neither flaw nor blemish. When “God’s Torah is perfect,” then “it restores the soul.”
כִּי אָז דַּיְקָא זוֹכִין לְאַהֲבַת הַתּוֹרָה וּמַרְגִּישִׁין טַעַם מְתִיקוּת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁמְּשִׁיבָה אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ שׁוּם חִסָּרוֹן כַּנַּ"ל. וְאָז זוֹכִין לְהַתְמָדָה כַּנַּ"ל.
When people find the Torah without fault, then their love makes them worthy of continuous diligence in its study.